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How to get your first Job or internship as developer, designer or a PM.
Took a while to complete this. Please share.
Wishing everyone out there looking for their first internship/junior roles goodluck.
Took a while to complete this. Please share.
Wishing everyone out there looking for their first internship/junior roles goodluck.
[Facts]
First, know that the definition of internship has slowly changed over the years, it used to be âcome let us teach you even if you donât know anything and then you work for usâ,
to
âcome and join us if you already have an idea, weâll support youâ
First, know that the definition of internship has slowly changed over the years, it used to be âcome let us teach you even if you donât know anything and then you work for usâ,
to
âcome and join us if you already have an idea, weâll support youâ
[Facts]
We have a lot of companies but still not a lot.
A lot of the potential companies youâre probably going to apply to are startups who are trying to move fast with little financial/technical capacity to start training interns or pay salaries without getting instant values.
We have a lot of companies but still not a lot.
A lot of the potential companies youâre probably going to apply to are startups who are trying to move fast with little financial/technical capacity to start training interns or pay salaries without getting instant values.
So first, you need to have started something first. Iâm saying this first so you donât see this thread as an automatic get a job thread thatâs going to work for everyone.
Please read to the end. Thanks.
Please read to the end. Thanks.
If you started learning with a well structured course that has series of projects/assignment like the likes of @udacity, @AltSchoolAfrica etc, thatâs good. If not, then know that youâd have to build several projects.
Weâll get there soon, just stay with me.
Weâll get there soon, just stay with me.
1. Frontend devs: You probably have a lot of projects youâve built as youâre learning.
Please host them on domains like @Netlify, @vercel, @AWSAmplify ( free version), use deployment as a benchmark to finish a project not just your local server. It has a nice ring to it.
Please host them on domains like @Netlify, @vercel, @AWSAmplify ( free version), use deployment as a benchmark to finish a project not just your local server. It has a nice ring to it.
2. Reach out to product designers that are still learning and ask them for collaborations. Tell them to design sample frontend projects and you code it. Not only does this help with your portfolios both, it shows you can collaborate
I donât know why people donât think about it.
I donât know why people donât think about it.
3. No project you build is useless, on some really Interesting ones, feel free to write about it and post on blogs. Trust me, it helps with when HR searches your name on Google hoping to only see your LinkedIn and they see your articles ( I canât prove it, but I know they dođ )
4. For backend devs, the problem is always that you canât just show screenshot of backend codes about your work or display APIs, but what if you could? You build a basic CRUD system everytime, writing about it is not a bad idea, itâs the perfect chance to post your code like a âď¸
5. Collaboration is also great, after all youâll be working with frontend devs when you get a job, why canât you work with them while learning? You can reach out to other frontend devs while learning and offer to build a project with them. Something simple and interacting.
6. Before you know, you have tons of public repos on GitHub with proper readme files, and during interviews, you can easily say youâve collaborated with frontend engineers to build 2,3,4 projects. Plus links to where theyâre hosted so it can be tested.
Live URL > Localhost.
Live URL > Localhost.
7. PM : This is tricky and unfair because you canât just call up frontend devs or backend devs and offer to manage their projects or so. This is where hunting for startups starts, instead of hunting for frontend devs or backend devs, hunt for startups in ideation stages.
8. Sometimes, Tons of people are building ideas daily and theyâre talking about it, reach out to and offer to manage the product from ideation. The catch is, instead of you just managing a side project and looking for devs, designer one by one. Someoneâs done that already.
9. Unlike Devs and PDs, LinkedIn is a really active place to explore PM roles. I donât now why but you probably need to look serious on LinkedIn than developers. You might not see a lot of intern roles but youâll see the term âjuniorâ more. APPLY.
Now donât get me wrong. All these are just to prepare you for getting the main internship ( Damnnn you see itâs hard out there). And the difference now is, you have a better shot at convincing a company that you have something to offer. You have small experience. đŞđ˝đŞđ˝
Now preparing for a job: You might not want to hear this but LinkedIn works, maybe not for rockstar techies with years of experience, but youâre just starting your career. Take all the chances you can get and donât limit yourself.
In the first cohort of @dev_careers 2019
In the first cohort of @dev_careers 2019
I had a call with the techiess we trained to help reshape their LinkedIns, people who have worked together gave each other recommendations and framed their experience well. A lot of them got jobs and offers after graduating ( Ofcus not just because of LinkedIn đ, but you get )
If you intend to get a job on LinkedIn, please use a clear project picture and take time to look at people who are kinda professionals in your fields who are active on LinkedIn, look at what theyâve worked on and how they described their works. Learn from it.
If you intend to get a job from twitter, then perhaps make you bio depict a little about what you do. Before you roast me, remember I said âifâ. Tech CEOs, CTOs, hiring managers are here. With so many people replying job ads, they donât have time to ask everyone.
Next thing is getting a job. This is hard and a lot of people make mistakes here. Iâm sorry but you donât apply to 10 - 20 jobs and assume thatâs it.
Looking for a job is a job itself. Try applying to at least 10 positions a day, and ohhh, letâs talk about your resume next.
Looking for a job is a job itself. Try applying to at least 10 positions a day, and ohhh, letâs talk about your resume next.
Youâll have to have different resume for different kind of internships even tho itâs thesame industry, same as cover letter where itâs needed.
Keyword are very important. Match the keywords in your resume to whatâs asked on the JD as best as you can. Donât do 1 for all resumeđđ˝
Keyword are very important. Match the keywords in your resume to whatâs asked on the JD as best as you can. Donât do 1 for all resumeđđ˝
My advice: Take a day to work on rewriting your LinkedIn, twitter ( if you want) and writing a base sample of your cover letters.
In fairness, give yourself around 3 months window minimum, people get it in more or less, but please donât start feeling sad after a week or 3đđ˝
In fairness, give yourself around 3 months window minimum, people get it in more or less, but please donât start feeling sad after a week or 3đđ˝
And please as best as you can. Prepare for the interview or have a window or table opened about the company youâre interviewing at. The trick is, itâs easy to get another job when you currently have one. So even if the internship Salary is not big, hereâs what to do:
You can take it, and after a month or two, tender the list of work youâre doing and how you think youâre adding more devalue and propose a salary negotiation. On the side, please be also looking for another job. I wonât put a number to your first salary, but know this đđžđđž
A lot of the seniors folks you see right now, if you hear their first salaries ehnnn, youâd be surprised. That being said, please donât take offers that are titling towards extortion. Iâm also saying donât keep waiting for a fat salary because you think tech is oil money.
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